ld not see what he was sure was a dreadful phantom that was
coming straight toward him.

"It oc-curs to me," said Tiktok calmly, "that your Maj-es-ty is act-ing
like a ba-by I am not a phan-tom. A phan-tom is unreal, while I am the
real thing."

The King rolled over, sat up and opened his eyes.

"Didn't I smash you to pieces?" he asked in trembling tones.

"Yes," said Tiktok.

"Then you are nothing but a junk-heap, and this form in which you now
appear cannot be real."

"It is, though," declared Tiktok. "Kal-i-ko picked up my piec-es and put
me to-geth-er a-gain. I'm as good as new, and perhaps bet-ter."

"That is true, your Majesty," added Kaliko, who now made his appearance,
"and I hope you will forgive me for mending Tiktok. He was quite broken
up, after you smashed him, and I found it almost as hard a job to match
his pieces as to pick turnips from gooseberry bushes. But I did it," he
added proudly.

"You are forgiven," announced the Nome King, rising to his feet and
drawing a long breath. "I will raise your wages one specto a year, and
Tiktok shall return to the Land of Oz loaded with jewels for the
Princess Ozma."

"That is all right," said Tiktok. "But what I want to know is, why did
you hit me with your mace?"

"Because I was angry," admitted the King. "When I am angry I always do
something that I am sorry for afterward. So I have firmly resolved never
to get angry again; unless--unless--"

"Unless what, your Majesty?" inquired Kaliko.

[Illustration]

"Unless something annoys me," said the Nome King. And then he went to
his treasure-chamber to get the jewels for Princess Ozma of Oz.

[Illustration]

OZMA AND THE LITTLE WIZARD

Once upon a time there lived in the beautiful Emerald City, which lies
in the center of the fairy Land of Oz, a lovely girl called Princess
Ozma, who was ruler of all that country. And among those who served this
girlish Ruler and lived in a cozy suite of rooms in her splendid palace,
was a little, withered old man known as the Wizard of Oz.

[Illustration]

This little Wizard could do a good many queer things in magic; but he
was a kind man, with merry, twinkling eyes and a sweet smile; so,
instead of fearing him because of his magic, everybody loved him.

Now, Ozma was very anxious that all her people who inhabited the
pleasant Land of Oz should be happy and contented, and therefore she
decided one morning to make a journey to all parts of the country, t